ICBC improves road safety across B.C.

March 23, 2008 — ICBC has been helping improve road safety at high-crash locations in B.C. communities since its Road Improvement Program was launched in 1989. In 2007, ICBC invested approximately $8.9 million in funding for safety improvements to roads across the province.

ICBC’s Road Improvement Program works in partnership with municipalities and the provincial government to make roads safer. In 2007, ICBC helped fund approximately 300 projects and engineering studies in 73 communities across the province.

“Road improvements are recognized worldwide as one of the most effective ways to improve safety for drivers and pedestrians,” says John Les, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “By making intersections and other high-crash locations safer, we are reducing crashes, preventing injuries, and saving lives.”

Projects earmarked for road-improvement investments are assessed to ensure they make B.C. roads safer for all drivers and translate into lower claims costs for ICBC and its customers. The most recent independent evaluation of ICBC-funded road improvements found a four-to-one return on investment over two years following a project’s completion.

ICBC road-safety investment concentrates on the systemic causes of crashes — drivers, roads and vehicles — and supports programs that are proven to prevent crashes and deliver the most significant claim-savings benefits to its customers.

“The reality is, many of our roads were designed to standards existing in the 1950s or ’60s,” notes ICBC’s Nicolas Jimenez, director of road safety. “New engineering standards such as dedicated left-turn bays, anti-skid treatments, roundabouts, and traffic-signal upgrades give us an opportunity to reduce crashes significantly. All ICBC-funded road-improvement projects must achieve a return on investment. These savings are then passed on to our customers through low and stable insurance rates.”